Adrian Peterson Interview

The most exciting player in the draft?

By Jon Robinson

Updated: 15 Jun 2012 9:35 pm

Posted: 4 May 2007 8:58 pm

When $30,000 of Jesus is staring you in the face, things can get a little intimidating, even if that diamond and gold Messiah hangs around the neck of one of your favorite players. The kid you used to destroy all comers with in NCAA Football 05, 06 and 07. The running back who "experts" thought could go straight from high school to the NFL.

Adrian Peterson, the playmaker who is about to bring the excitement back to Minnesota.

"You get that thing insured?" I ask AD (as in the man who can beat you "All Day"). I point to the shine while trying not to look directly at it, with all the camera lights in the room, a man can go blind.

Peterson laughs as he holds up his Jesus piece, which literally is the face of Jesus. "When you spend this much, you have to. It cost a pretty little bitty."

Peterson was hanging out in New York for draft week and headed to the EA Sports draft party to check out the latest on NCAA Football 08

and use the game as a distraction from the madness of talking heads and mock drafts.

"This week is all about mixed emotions for me," says Peterson. "That's why it's great to sit back and relax and play some videogames. I remember the first time I saw myself in the game, that was cool, but I actually liked playing as Miami. Once I started a season, though, it was all about the Sooners. They had me in that game doing crazy things," Peterson remembers. "I can say this: Every time I went back home, guys from the team, random fans, guys from the other teams, they would all tell me 'I like playing as OU in the game…they can't stop you!' It's funny to hear stuff like that, and I hope it carried over on the field. Because of the game, maybe it was already in their minds that they couldn't stop me for real."

The Vikings hope that polygonal dominance also carries over into the NFL after making Peterson the 7th pick overall and the first running back taken off the board. A position that would've been higher if it wasn't for teams fearing the worst about his frequent injuries, not to mention the constant grind and number of carries he endured at Oklahoma (basically, they ran him like I run him in the videogame, nonstop).

Peterson doesn't seem to worry and claims the durability issues were the biggest misconception about him leading into the draft. "People say I'm injury prone, but that's definitely not true. My collarbone was a freak injury. I had a high ankle sprain, but just walking down the steps you might twist your ankle and can't walk, so it's funny to me when people want to question my durability. This is football, things happen, but just because I had a few injuries doesn't mean that it's going to happen again."

In fact, Peterson believes he is a player to build a franchise around. A player who can bring not only fans, but more importantly, wins to the Vikes.

"I'm a player who is coming in with the determination to turn a team around. I want to help my team get to the playoffs, win…and run wild. I want to bring people to the stands. I want people to come to the game to see what I can do next. Things like that can change the whole attitude of an organization. I want to win."

Peterson continued to check out NCAA 08, but his mind began to wander to Madden.

"You want to see your name on the jersey. You want to hear your name being said by the announcer. It's exciting to finally be in Madden," says Peterson. "I don't play every day like my roommate or some of my former teammates, but when I play, I'm pretty good. I can hold my own in the football games, that's for sure."

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But will he play as himself in Madden 08 or stick with one of his favorite teams?

"As a kid, I always played as Chicago. I like to take the underdog teams and build them up. That's how I was back in high school. My team was the underdog and rose to the top. That's my approach in the videogame. That's my approach on the field. I want to be able to take a team and make them a winner.

"That's the type of player I am. I just want to make a difference."

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